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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 · drill · bulb · nail · pound · cue · arm · craft

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a hint
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — a weight
  8. snap — to click
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — for pool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. arm — part of the body

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