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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. safe — out of danger

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