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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
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: spring · plane · safe · lash · tube · row · last · pit

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pit — a hole
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tube — a container
  17. spring — the season
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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