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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — in football
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. spell — magic
  12. race — a contest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. race — humankind
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — the arms race

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