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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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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: wave · stick · nail · plane · court · foot · wind · lie

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — a measure
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — in geometry

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