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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: board · plane · lean · rash · nail · snap · land · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — farmland
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. land — a country
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a committee
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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