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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: court · craft · snap · deal · spring · key · wake · wave

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spring — of water
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — the season
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — for sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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