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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pop — soda
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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