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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — employees

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