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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: plane · nail · cap · mouse · field · roll · straw · fan

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. field — farmland
  3. cap — a lid
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. roll — a list
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — a cake
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — for sport

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