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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: wave · snap · cabinet · fall · craft · key · saw · suit

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. craft — boats
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — to fit

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