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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — after costs
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wave — of the sea

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