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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: wake · lash · pitcher · plane · craft · rock · bowl · content

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. craft — boats
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. plane — a tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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