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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of a car

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