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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: lash · net · fan · rash · plane · kid · land · ruler

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — to come down
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. land — a country
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — to tease
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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