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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 120 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. patient — a sick person

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