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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 116 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: band · can · pound · kick · straw · present · patient · plane

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — a tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — there
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. straw — a straw man

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