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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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