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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
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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: hand · cabinet · staff · snap · safe · lean · mine · plane

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — help
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — to bend
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. snap — to click
  24. mine — for digging

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