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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: rash · deal · mark · plane · stick · lean · wind · land

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — a country
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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