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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cold — not warm
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — to be able to
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lash — to lash out

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