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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ground — a position
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — a group
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — in music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ground — the earth

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