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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · wind · fan · squash · nail · net · bound · plane

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a song
  23. net — for catching
  24. bound — certain

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