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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: toast · firm · plane · fall · drill · bay · snap · tear

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to click
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tear — to rip
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — the season
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — a company
  14. toast — bread
  15. fall — to drop
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. firm — steady
  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