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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 · pitcher · lash · bat · toast · rash · roll · hide

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rash — a series
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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