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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — hurry
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kid — child
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — a position
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. plane — a tool

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