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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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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: wave · lash · wind · chair · root · plane · rash · file

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. file — a tool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — an eyelash

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