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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: wind · rash · straw · nail · rest · plane · stand · bound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rest — what's left

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