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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: plane · chest · lash · key · date · rash · rest · dip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — the fruit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. date — on the calendar

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