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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: wind · snap · ball · leaves · plane · object · bowl · pit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. snap — to click
  5. pit — a hole
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — a thing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — to protest

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