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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: fall · band · ruler · land · net · cabinet · spell · plane

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — after costs
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a ring
  9. net — for catching
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. band — a music group
  13. land — a country
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — a short time

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