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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: pass · ball · file · wound · suit · snap · chair · craft

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pass — a permit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — boats
  9. suit — in cards
  10. file — a document
  11. wound — an injury
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. suit — clothes
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — an injury

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