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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: last · lash · chip · hide · bass · safe · plane · fall

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — to go on
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — finally

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