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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.

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: march · racket · spell · ball · rush · plane · fan · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — a short time
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. march — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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