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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: tear · charge · arm · plane · wave · rush · lash · dip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tear — from crying
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tear — to rip
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — in control

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