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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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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: ground · hand · firm · plane · bank · clip · cue · current

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — of water
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — a video
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. firm — a company
  18. current — electric
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — happening now
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hand — part of the body

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