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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: swing · craft · mate · wave · cap · safe · wake · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to click
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — in golf
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — a hat
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — music

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