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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · chest · plane · file · wave · lash · hand · object

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. chest — a box
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. file — a document
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — an aim
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. object — to protest
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chest — of your body

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