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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — a position
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. date — the fruit

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