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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: snap · rule · craft · key · cold · stick · deal · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cold — not warm
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rule — government
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — boats

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