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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 116 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 · plane · bore · track · squash · mate · straw · pass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a friend
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. squash — to crush

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