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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — of ice
  20. toast — bread
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — to drill

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