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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a song
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — a line
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — a path

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