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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — child
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of a king
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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