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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: sharp · suit · mine · plane · hide · lash · wake · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. suit — to fit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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