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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: plane · hand · pop · lash · kid · stock · key · pit

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hand — help
  4. kid — to tease
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pop — music
  21. kid — child
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — part of the body

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