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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — a company
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rock — a stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. drill — army training
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rock — music

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