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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 116 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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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: wind · plane · tear · fan · racket · nail · board · rule

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rule — government
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — a law

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