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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spell — letters
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — magic
  22. snap — to click
  23. spring — the season
  24. plane — a tool

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