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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — a committee
  6. last — final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. field — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — a stone
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — to get on
  23. last — finally
  24. racket — for tennis

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