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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: lash · bat · plane · content · craft · pop · ground · press

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. content — happy
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. press — newspapers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. content — the amount

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