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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: pound · wave · lash · drill · wake · field · bay · plane

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — a weight
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. drill — army training
  23. field — for sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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