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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: mouse · mate · chair · lash · wind · plane · bay · row

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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