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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: straw · fan · nail · object · wound · plane · rush · present

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — an aim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — there
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. object — a thing
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — to protest
  23. present — the time now
  24. rush — hurry

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