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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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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: plane · bore · net · rest · ground · bass · kick · saw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — a position
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — a tool

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