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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: plane · foot · date · perch · pop · lash · object · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. object — to protest
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — an aim
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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