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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.

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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: plane · capital · straw · sharp · last · mouse · bulb · lash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — money
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. capital — a city

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