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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. last — finally
  7. kid — child
  8. march — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. field — farmland
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bass — the fish
  16. last — final
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bass — low music
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ruler — for measuring

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