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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. root — of a word
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — 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