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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — rain
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wake — a trail
  8. firm — steady
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. firm — a company
  17. craft — a skill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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