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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — high quality
  8. last — to go on
  9. mate — a partner
  10. last — final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. last — finally
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. row — a line

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