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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: lash · hide · craft · game · snap · mine · bore · club

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. snap — to click
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — to tire
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — for golf
  21. craft — boats
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — a group

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