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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cell — a phone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a committee
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cell — in biology

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