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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 · track · jam · lash · lean · capital · pitcher · bat

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — a path
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — to bend
  24. track — a song

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