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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: mouse · tube · craft · present · snap · fine · chest · pound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — boats
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — there

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