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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 120 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: bulb · suit · wave · craft · bat · scale · bay · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. craft — boats
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — a skill

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