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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: wind · chest · kick · fine · ruler · plane · net · snap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chest — a box
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — in football
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. net — for catching
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fine — a penalty

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