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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: ruler · snap · spell · present · hide · bat · plane · current

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. present — there
  10. current — happening now
  11. snap — to click
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — a gift

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