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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 116 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: dip · wound · pound · plane · snap · wind · rest · club

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — a weight
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rest — what's left
  24. snap — to click

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