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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — a grade
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — for catching
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. snap — to click

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