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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — in a race
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pit — a hole
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — in sport

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