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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: firm · rock · fall · plane · land · wake · fan · nail

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — to come down
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — ground
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. firm — steady
  24. fan — to cool the air

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