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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.

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 · lash · leaves · fan · band · mine · cell · mug

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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