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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bound — tied together
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — obliged

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