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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: bowl · craft · snap · bark · cue · dip · rush · deal

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. bark — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. craft — boats
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bark — to shout
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. snap — to click
  17. cue — for pool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. dip — a sauce

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