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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: land · net · bear · wind · wound · plane · ruler · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. land — to come down
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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