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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — clever
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — a phone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — with an edge

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