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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a document
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. file — a line of people
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. key — the most important part
  24. club — for golf

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