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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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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 · bowl · clip · arm · court · snap · object · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. court — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — a thing
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — a video
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — an aim

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