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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 · wake · board · hide · sharp · ball · stand · straw

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. board — to get on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a committee

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