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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — a country
  15. scale — in music
  16. current — of water
  17. file — a document
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — music
  24. current — happening now

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