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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.

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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: face · ball · lash · saw · last · bulb · plane · suit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — finally
  8. face — to point toward
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — to go on
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. face — to confront
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. last — final
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a round shape

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