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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — to crush
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a line
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — a measure

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