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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: tube · deal · chest · row · drill · craft · cue · snap

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. snap — to click
  3. chest — a box
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — a container
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. drill — army training
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — a hint

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