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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.

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: kid · pop · sharp · plane · lie · last · lash · patient

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. last — to go on
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pop — to visit

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