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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. march — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — an eyelash

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