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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: swing · plane · game · arm · fine · saw · snap · object

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. snap — to click
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. object — a thing
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. swing — to play on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. object — an aim
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — a match

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