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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bark · tube · band · fine · lash · press · cap

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — the underground
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — all right
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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