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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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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: rule · plane · lie · kid · fine · bat · deal · lash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — all right
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — a tool

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