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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. plane — in geometry

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