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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. file — a document
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — an agreement

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