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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: pitcher · mine · rash · board · present · leaves · wound · plane

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. plane — a tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. present — there

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