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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.

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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: dip · safe · stick · hide · lash · shower · wax · plane

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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