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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 120 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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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 · bay · tear · lash · object · root · wake · hand

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — a tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — to protest
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tear — from crying

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