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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: wave · plane · club · stand · shower · squash · lash · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. club — for dancing
  9. squash — to crush
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  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