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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: kick · safe · plane · snap · cap · mate · bat · spell

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. snap — to click
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spell — letters
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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