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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: ball · racket · plane · face · wound · net · bound · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — a tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. face — to point toward
  22. net — for catching
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — an injury

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