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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — electric
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — part of the body
  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