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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spell — magic
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — an agreement

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