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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of law
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — a stick

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