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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: snap · board · fine · craft · rest · tube · perch · lean

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — high quality
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — all right
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. perch — the fish

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