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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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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: wound · bowl · craft · pitcher · snap · wave · mug · rest

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a cup
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitcher — a jug

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