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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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