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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — completely
  21. land — to come down
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — ground

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