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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — a permit
  5. face — to confront
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to click
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. game — a match
  24. plane — in geometry

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