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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 120 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: rule · straw · plane · snap · last · squash · lean · racket

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — to go on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. last — final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. last — finally
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — government

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