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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 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. chair — to sit on
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — a container
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — in sport
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. snap — to click
  15. squash — the sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — of the year
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — 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