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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: tube · squash · racket · cap · plane · lash · bulb · rash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — a series
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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