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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — a price
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — the arms race
  9. present — there
  10. snap — to click
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — a tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. race — a contest
  18. charge — electricity
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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