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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: mark · sharp · wake · pass · plane · club · staff · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. club — a group
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. staff — a stick

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