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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. scale — size or range
  15. craft — a skill
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — in music
  22. chest — a box
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lash — to lash out

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