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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: pit · wave · stand · plane · lash · craft · content · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — the amount
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stand — on your feet

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