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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: wake · net · row · root · mine · bound · plane · nail

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mine — an explosive

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