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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lean — thin
  7. race — a contest
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — humankind
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — 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