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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: bulb · lash · plane · saw · wake · staff · land · tube

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — ground
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — a container
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. land — a country
  24. saw — the tool

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