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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · cabinet · spell · hide · plane · lash · dip

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — for digging
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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