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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 · pit · ruler · racket · hand · straw · fall · rush

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fall — the season
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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