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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — to drill
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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