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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 120 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 · pop · fork · lash · bat · plane · season · tear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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