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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: field · plane · rash · snap · toast · perch · wave · dip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — a subject
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. field — farmland
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. toast — bread
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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