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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — in music
  13. staff — employees
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — size or range

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