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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: plane · rush · rest · pass · wave · patient · band · lash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. band — a ring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a music group

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