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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: plane · wake · trunk · snap · rest · bay · hide · suit

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — a break
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — in geometry

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