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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · mine · leaves · mug · plane · lash · stick · board

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a face
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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