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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 124 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — of a car

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