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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: suit · snap · face · wave · band · land · plane · racket

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. band — a ring
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. land — a country
  17. face — to point toward
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — to come down
  22. band — a music group
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wave — of the sea

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