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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.

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: jam · wind · bulb · spell · hide · staff · plane · lash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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