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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tear — to rip
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to click
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. club — for golf
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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