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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — the animal

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