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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.

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: rock · plane · club · lash · safe · field · bat · leaves

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. club — a group
  9. field — for sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — farmland
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for golf
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bat — the animal

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