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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. hand — help
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. band — a ring
  24. chest — of your body

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