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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · jam · snap · cabinet · hide · plane · trunk · bat

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to click
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — boats
  13. plane — a tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — a skill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bat — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bat — in an idiom

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