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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — thin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — the season

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