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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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Word bank
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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: craft · bear · rush · rest · plane · snap · deal · land

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to click
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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