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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: wave · mine · land · plane · ruler · pitch · mouse · bear

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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