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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.

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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: plane · wind · roll · straw · wave · sharp · racket · prune

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. sharp — clever
  21. roll — a list
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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