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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · squash · snap · pitcher · plane · arm · roll · key

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — for a lock
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — the most important part
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. plane — in geometry

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