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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: board · foot · mine · plane · nail · lie · mouse · cold

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — for digging
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cold — an illness
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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