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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — a container
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — size or range

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