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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: nail · kid · plane · snap · pitcher · rock · bowl · rest

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — to move gently

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