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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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Word bank
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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: ground · snap · land · deal · lash · ruler · saw · plane

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to click
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. land — to come down
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — the earth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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