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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. snap — to click
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ground — crushed
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — obliged

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