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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: season · snap · straw · wake · suit · sharp · last · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to click
  5. last — finally
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — final
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — to go on
  15. craft — boats
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — clever

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