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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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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: snap · stem · wave · rule · lash · hand · pop · plane

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. snap — to click
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pop — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — with your hand

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