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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — a hint
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. snap — to click
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — an aim
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. chest — a box
  19. object — a thing
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cap — a hat
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — obliged

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