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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 · dip · land · bear · lash · hide · roll · mate

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — ground
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — a country

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