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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to click
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — a box
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — an untruth

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