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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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a great time
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a round shape

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