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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — electric
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to click
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — in football
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. current — happening now
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — to rip

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