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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: bowl · bulb · pitcher · plane · snap · hand · foot · wound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to click
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wound — an injury
  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