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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to click
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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