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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
468
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: key · snap · plane · net · drill · craft · dip · ground

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. key — for a lock
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — boats
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — crushed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — a practice

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