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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: pitcher · spell · lash · net · wake · plane · drill · hide

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — for catching
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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