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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — tied together
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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