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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — a container
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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