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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 · present · wave · kid · stand · row · ball · lash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — the time now
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. present — there
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — a gift
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — child
  16. row — to paddle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. plane — an aircraft

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