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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.

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: wake · fan · lash · pop · plane · stand · march · snap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — music
  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