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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · snap · fall · lash · plane · bore · net · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — a tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — in sport
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — a position
  22. fall — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — in geometry

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