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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: racket · suit · wound · chair · plane · vault · nail · spring

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — a coil
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — a safe
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. chair — a leader
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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