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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 116 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: cue · wound · snap · bear · lie · mark · craft · march

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a signal
  5. march — music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mark — a trace
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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