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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — the tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. drill — army training
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. present — there
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. drill — a practice

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