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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to click
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — help
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kick — with a leg

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