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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — a dish

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