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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: net · hide · wake · plane · perch · land · stick · ruler

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — after costs
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — in sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — a country
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — ground
  24. plane — an aircraft

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