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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: bear · plane · lash · shower · club · mug · land · track

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. club — for dancing
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. shower — rain
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — a path
  16. club — a group
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — ground
  21. mug — a cup
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — to wash

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