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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: roll · kick · fan · saw · cell · last · snap · plane

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — to go on
  4. cell — in biology
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. snap — to click
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. last — finally
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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