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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chest — a box
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. root — of a plant

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