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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mark — a grade
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. plane — an aircraft

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