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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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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: plane · snap · wake · file · saw · rush · rest · date

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. file — a document
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a line of people
  24. plane — an aircraft

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