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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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