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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: arm · nail · date · plane · roll · mate · snap · bark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bark — to shout
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. date — the fruit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. date — on the calendar

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