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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — decided
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — steady
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — a trainer

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