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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 116 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 · rash · wake · nail · ruler · racket · game · band

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. plane — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — a match
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — a series
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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