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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · chest · fork · plane · land · nail · suit · fall

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. chest — a box
  11. land — a country
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — in a road
  24. land — to come down

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