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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a line
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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