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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 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. club — a group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — a list
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. club — for dancing
  21. squash — the sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — a cake

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