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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — in music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rock — music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. kick — in football

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