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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.

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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: lash · plane · bear · kid · mine · rule · hand · calf

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rule — government
  5. plane — a tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — child
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rule — a law
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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