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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. squash — to crush
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — for catching
  23. degree — an amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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