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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — army training
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — the tool

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