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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · capital · wave · fan · kid · rock · lash · plane

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — child
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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