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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — certain
  4. snap — to click
  5. land — to come down
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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