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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — to recline
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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