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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — a position
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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