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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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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: snap · mug · plane · toast · key · stick · sharp · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. key — the most important part
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — a tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — a face
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — to rob

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