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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — in a race
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — a tool
  24. snap — to click

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