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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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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: lie · lash · last · pound · plane · bark · kick · deal

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. last — to go on
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kick — in football
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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