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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: track · saw · plane · bear · pound · chair · wake · hand

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. track — a path
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — a professorship

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