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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 120 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: wake · rule · lash · plane · face · dip · rush · firm

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. firm — steady
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — to confront
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — part of the head
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — government
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — to rule out

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