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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 120 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 · wave · lie · hand · rest · hide · squash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — with your hand

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