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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. plane — a tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kick — a thrill

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