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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to click
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — boats
  22. ball — a great time
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — belonging to me

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