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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. plane — a tool

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