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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: stick · kid · bay · swing · lash · fork · plane · leaves

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — child
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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