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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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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: stick · game · lash · plane · court · press · wind · arm

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — a publisher
  16. court — of law
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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