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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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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: lash · kid · rock · wake · plane · can · last · cell

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. last — final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. last — finally
  24. can — to be able to

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