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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. snap — to click
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — a box
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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