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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. clip — a video
  8. spring — the season
  9. clip — to cut
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — a short time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spell — magic
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mate — a partner
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. mate — to breed

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