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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. game — wild animals
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cue — a signal

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