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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — decided
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — a company
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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