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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. firm — a company
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. clip — to cut
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — for paper
  10. land — ground
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — a country
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to confront
  19. clip — a video
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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