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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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Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. degree — an amount

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