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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: ground · snap · stick · mug · drill · suit · dip · plane

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — clothes
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — a cup

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