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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: plane · spell · deal · bay · snap · march · saw · pitcher

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. march — the month
  24. spell — a short time

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