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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — boats
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. craft — a skill
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kick — in football
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. plane — in geometry

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