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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 124 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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a document
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bound — certain
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. file — a line of people
  17. capital — money
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — tied together
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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