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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — the animal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — in an idiom

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