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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — a tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — happening now
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. fall — the season
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fall — to drop

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