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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. rest — a break
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — electric
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. current — happening now
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — a thing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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