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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.

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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: chair · plane · bear · pitch · row · object · kick · lash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — an aim
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chair — a leader
  17. object — to protest
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — a tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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