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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.

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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: hand · stick · lean · row · plane · bore · pitcher · board

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — to get on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a line
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — to rest against

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