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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.

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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: land · plane · rule · lash · capital · bat · safe · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. club — for golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — a group
  16. capital — money
  17. rule — government
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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