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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · stick · plane · bulb · land · ball · wind · face

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. land — a country
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wind — moving air
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — to confront
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — ground

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