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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. snap — to click
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. trunk — of a car

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