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

Word bank: chip · hide · snap · craft · cold · deal · scale · bay

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. craft — a skill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — boats
  8. cold — an illness
  9. chip — to eat
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cold — not warm
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — for betting

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