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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — help
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — a safe
  18. drill — the tool

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