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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: racket · face · plane · arm · wound · rock · ruler · hand

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — help
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — a stone

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