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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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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: plane · ball · lash · season · nail · press · tear · shower

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a dance
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — of the year
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — a publisher
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ball — a round shape

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