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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cap · snap · lash · key · shower · rush · spell

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — magic
  4. cap — a hat
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. shower — to wash
  14. key — the most important part
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — in music

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