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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spring — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lean — thin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. court — for sport
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. court — of law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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