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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — magic
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — all right
  10. row — a line
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — letters
  17. clip — for paper
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. clip — a video
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. staff — employees

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