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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
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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: fan · lash · object · temple · face · plane · rash · staff

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — a stick
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — to point toward
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — a place of worship

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