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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — ground
  7. rash — a series
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. land — a country
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — to come down
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a quarrel

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