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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: cue · craft · deal · can · temple · last · pop · snap

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. last — final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. snap — to click
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — soda

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