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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. jam — in traffic

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