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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ground — a position
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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