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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. shower — rain
  14. firm — steady
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — to breed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — help

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