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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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. trunk — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ball — a round shape

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