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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rock — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — part of the body

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