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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: bay · march · snap · object · kick · mouse · lash · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. march — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. snap — to click

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