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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: capital · lash · file · roll · kick · fall · plane · can

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fall — to drop
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. roll — a list
  21. kick — in football
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — a cake

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