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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · mug · dip · craft · tear · race

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. tear — from crying
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — the arms race
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — a contest
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to click
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — humankind

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