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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — in sport
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pop — to visit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to click
  15. mark — a trace
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pop — soda
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — to recline

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