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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. deal — to handle
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. object — to protest
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. track — to keep track
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — a path
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — an aircraft

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