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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: plane · row · wound · snap · stand · rest · ball · rush

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. stand — to bear

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