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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to click
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. plane — a tool

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