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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — a break
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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