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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. suit — clothes
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to click
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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