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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — of the year
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. craft — a skill

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