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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — an amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tear — to rip
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — temperature

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