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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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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 · net · cap · nail · ruler · spell · wind

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. net — in sport
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — of ice
  19. net — for catching
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to click
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spell — letters

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