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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: plane · rest · racket · firm · chest · nail · tube · sharp

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. sharp — clever
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — decided
  13. chest — a box
  14. rest — what's left
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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