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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.

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: bear · pitcher · plane · band · hide · saw · lash · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — in geometry

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