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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: row · straw · pop · can · deal · nail · fall · plane

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — to visit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — to be able to
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. row — a line
  24. fall — to drop

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