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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a ring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. band — a music group
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cap — a lid
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — of ice

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