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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: spell · rash · leaves · plane · bat · drill · object · snap

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. object — an aim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — army training

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