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

Word bank: chair · snap · plane · deal · object · roll · perch · key

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to click
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — a cake
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. object — a thing
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — in music
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. roll — a list
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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