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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: craft · swing · snap · hand · perch · bulb · wave · firm

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. firm — steady
  14. swing — in golf
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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