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

Word bank: plane · bank · wind · suit · firm · press · club · foot

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — a publisher
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — to push
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. foot — a measure
  15. club — for golf
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. firm — decided
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — the bottom

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