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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: plane · shower · kick · lash · rash · dip · board · pit

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — in a race
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — in football
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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