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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: field · plane · perch · bear · racket · ruler · fall · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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