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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · rush · tube · coach · lash · plane · bear · last

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — final
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — a short time

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