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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: net · cap · rush · spell · cabinet · bay · plane · snap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — in sport

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