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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 · toast · pit · hand · snap · last · fine · arm

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fine — all right
  3. last — to go on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to click
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — final
  19. toast — bread
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hand — help

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