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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · drill · kick · lash · date · plane · hand · ground

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — to point toward
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — in football
  10. face — to confront
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — a tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — part of the head

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