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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: cell · spell · fine · file · dip · lash · coach · plane

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — magic
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — all right
  11. cell — a phone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — in biology
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. dip — a sauce

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