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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: firm · club · date · plane · stick · band · straw · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — decided
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — steady
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — on the calendar

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