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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · mug · snap · last · bark · plane · lie · jam

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. last — final
  2. file — a tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. last — finally
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. last — to go on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — a face
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  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