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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · snap · perch · capital · plane · drill · mug · roll

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — money
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — an aim
  16. mug — a face
  17. object — a thing
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — to rob
  21. object — to protest
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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