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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: lash · kick · kid · foot · plane · lean · stock · land

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kick — in football
  7. stock — shares
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — child
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — to tease
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — to come down
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — an aircraft

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