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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: pass · bear · ball · snap · craft · clip · racket · lean

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — a permit
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a dance
  15. clip — a video
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — a skill

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