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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: saw · wave · track · land · deal · kick · sharp · plane

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — ground
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. track — a path
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — clever
  23. track — a song
  24. kick — a thrill

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