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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: plane · stand · squash · snap · charge · shower · key · deal

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stand — on your feet

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