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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. plane — a tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rule — a law
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. charge — in control
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  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