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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. race — a contest
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — a tool

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