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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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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: kick · plane · deal · hand · rash · foot · mate · club

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mate — to breed
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. hand — help
  24. kick — with a leg

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