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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · plane · perch · object · hide · staff · pitch · can

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. object — an aim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — a stick
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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