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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. plane — in geometry

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