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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. plane — a tool
  8. land — a country
  9. object — to protest
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — a thing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — a trail
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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