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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: lash · ruler · plane · fall · wave · mate · face · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to point toward

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