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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 · plane · bank · snap · jam · face · wake · cap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. snap — to click
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — on a finger

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