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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. scale — in music
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — a coil
  17. plane — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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