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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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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 · bark · lash · charge · row · bulb · sharp · chip

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a line
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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