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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: ground · stick · rush · pound · clip · rest · plane · craft

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — a break
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. clip — a video
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — boats
  24. plane — in geometry

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