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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · charge · hide · fork · plane · bass · bat · wake

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bass — low music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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