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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 · bear · squash · nail · lean · pitcher · pound · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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