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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — army training
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rash — a series
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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