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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 120 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: band · squash · sharp · plane · board · ruler · temple · net

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. net — after costs
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a music group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — a tool

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