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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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