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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hand — help
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a skill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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