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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 · leaves · fork · lean · lash · squash · snap · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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