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

Word bank: stick · lash · mark · plane · patient · file · hide · race

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — humankind
  12. file — a document
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a line of people
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mark — a grade

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