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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to click
  3. land — ground
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spell — letters
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — thin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — in sport
  19. rock — music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — magic
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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