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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · last · snap · can · stick · craft · leaves · scale

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — size or range
  10. last — to go on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. scale — in music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. leaves — of a tree

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