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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
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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: last · temple · racket · bound · wave · plane · board · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — final
  5. bound — tied together
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. last — finally
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bound — obliged
  20. board — to get on
  21. bound — certain
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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