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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: shower · plane · trunk · track · wave · suit · lash · last

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. suit — to fit
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — in cards
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. last — final
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. shower — to wash
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — a tool
  22. last — finally
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — clothes

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