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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 120 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: shower · rush · mark · mate · plane · scale · spring · lash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — to wash
  10. scale — in music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — a trace
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mate — a partner
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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