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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 · spell · plane · cap · mine · wound · racket · root

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. root — the cause
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — magic
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — a lid
  21. root — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. root — of a word
  24. racket — for tennis

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