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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
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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: spell · lash · plane · press · cell · jam · land · pop

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — a country
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — to come down
  21. cell — in biology
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — a publisher

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