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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: fine · roll · stand · tear · lash · plane · craft · rash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — from crying
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — a list
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fine — high quality

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