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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: wound · racket · chip · pass · nail · temple · plane · rash

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pass — a permit
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — a tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — to spend time

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