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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 · mark · perch · wind · saw · deal · craft · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. deal — an agreement

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