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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a skill
  8. face — to point toward
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to click
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com