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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — to visit
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — music
  13. land — to come down
  14. kick — in football
  15. mine — for digging
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. land — a country
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  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