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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 120 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: swing · pop · drill · perch · lash · plane · sharp · last

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pop — soda
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. drill — army training
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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