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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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. bank — of a river
  3. pop — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to click
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — music

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