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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hand · kick · plane · rash · snap · net · chest

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — after costs
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. net — in sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — the earth
  24. snap — to click

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