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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: bear · roll · game · bulb · wake · band · lash · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — a trail

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