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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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