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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: mark · date · wave · field · arm · craft · snap · deal

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — a skill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — boats
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. field — a subject
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — farmland
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. field — for sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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