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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: craft · lie · wound · snap · file · firm · season · deal

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. firm — a company
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a skill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — steady
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — in sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — of the year
  18. snap — to click
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a document
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. season — to add flavour

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