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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: roll · sharp · band · cabinet · craft · wind · pit · snap

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wind — moving air
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pit — in a race
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. snap — to click
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. roll — a list
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. roll — a cake
  23. band — a ring
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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