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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. plane — in geometry

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