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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — to visit
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. spring — of water
  10. squash — to crush
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. squash — the sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pop — music

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