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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: saw · pop · craft · swing · mine · snap · vault · rest

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. snap — to click
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — a break
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — a safe

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