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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — completely
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — crushed
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — a position
  24. perch — the fish

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