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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tear — from crying
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. degree — from a university
  17. kick — in football
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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