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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — help
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. last — to go on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. club — for golf
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. last — final
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to click
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a round shape

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