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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: lash · date · wound · capital · row · craft · plane · suit

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — clothes
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. date — the fruit
  12. craft — boats
  13. row — to paddle
  14. suit — to fit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — a line
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. date — on the calendar

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