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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — for catching
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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