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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rule — government
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. face — part of the head

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