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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to click
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hand — help

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