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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. club — a group
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — to paddle
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. clip — for paper
  13. season — of the year
  14. clip — to cut
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. row — a line
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. clip — a video
  21. foot — a measure
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. foot — part of the body

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