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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. file — a document
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. land — to come down
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — ground
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of a car

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