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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to click
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. court — of a king
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — of law
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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