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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: pitcher · leaves · snap · temple · plane · bay · fall · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to click
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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