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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — steady
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. firm — a company
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — to breed
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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