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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · squash · court · kid · snap · rash · spell · plane

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kid — child
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. court — of law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. can — to be able to
  24. court — of a king

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