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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. band — a ring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of law
  12. field — farmland
  13. rush — hurry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. court — of a king
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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