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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. rest — what's left
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — an aircraft

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