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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: hand · suit · pass · bark · snap · craft · swing · cold

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. snap — to click
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bark — to shout
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cold — not warm
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — help
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — 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