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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · wind · ground · leaves · hand · ruler · mug

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — a position
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — to rob
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. plane — a tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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