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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.

Make a worksheet

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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — a short time
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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