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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: bear · snap · drill · wave · kid · fine · plane · nail

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — child
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to click
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  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