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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
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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: dip · suit · wind · plane · wound · net · straw · wake

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. suit — clothes
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — after costs
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — an injury
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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