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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. stand — to bear
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cap — a lid
  16. band — a ring
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. craft — boats
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a skill

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