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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. degree — temperature
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — a tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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