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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: cap · wake · lash · spring · plane · racket · pass · swing

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — the season
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. swing — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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