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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: wake · lash · plane · can · chest · spell · suit · date

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spell — letters
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — a box
  21. spell — a short time
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — to be able to

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