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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.

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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: pitcher · spell · lash · net · wake · plane

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — in sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs

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