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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mug — a cup

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