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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — boats
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — rain
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ground — crushed

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