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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: snap · sharp · foot · arm · swing · leaves · plane · firm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. sharp — clever
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. swing — in golf

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