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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a path
  20. bat — the animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cap — a hat
  24. track — to keep track

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