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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
468
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: bass · bulb · cap · clip · hide · lash · squash · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cap — a hat
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — of a plant

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