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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: can · fan · hand · band · plane · clip · pitcher · pound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — to be able to
  3. clip — a video
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. band — a ring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. band — a music group
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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