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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. snap — to click
  5. season — of the year
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. degree — temperature
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wave — with your hand

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