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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 · kick · dip · mug · wake · cue · craft · toast

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. toast — bread
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mug — a face
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kick — in football
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a signal

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