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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 120 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: can · mate · fork · snap · plane · wake · deal · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mate — a friend
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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