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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — to drill
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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