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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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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: arm · wind · bowl · pitch · stick · last · plane · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — final
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — to go on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — finally
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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