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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
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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: lash · pop · degree · rush · plane · wave · chip · clip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — an amount
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — to eat
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. degree — temperature
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pop — to visit

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