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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — letters
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — the instrument

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