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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 · shower · wake · row · spell · suit · mark · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. shower — rain
  14. spell — magic
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — a tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. spell — a short time

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