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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: plane · foot · net · roll · squash · object · wind · lash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — a thing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. roll — a cake
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. roll — a list
  24. squash — to crush

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