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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: shower · staff · key · pound · track · suit · plane · bank

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — a song
  8. key — in music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bank — of a river
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — to wash
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — a weight
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. plane — an aircraft

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