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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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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: fan · plane · bowl · pit · dip · snap · shower · lash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a hole
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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