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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: ground · mug · kid · plane · chest · staff · lash · suit

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ground — a position
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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