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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: plane · rash · suit · lash · face · field · ruler · chest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. field — a subject
  7. chest — of your body
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — a tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — farmland
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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