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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: pop · lean · racket · clip · craft · cabinet · snap · can

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pop — to visit
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pop — soda
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — to bend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. clip — a video
  24. lean — to rest against

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