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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: racket · plane · wave · chest · deal · capital · band · bound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. capital — a city
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chest — a box
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. capital — a big letter

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