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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.

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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: object · kick · ground · shower · bay · plane · rock · snap

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. object — a thing
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ground — a position
  12. object — to protest
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. kick — in football
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — a stone
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. plane — a tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. shower — to wash

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