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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · plane · fine · mine · staff · straw · pass · content

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fine — all right
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — happy
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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