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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — army training
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fork — in a road
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. key — the most important part
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — boats

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