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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 · mine · game · mark · bore · mug · chest

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. game — a match
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chest — a box
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mug — a face
  24. mine — for digging

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