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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: plane · last · fan · clip · saw · pound · bound · tube

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tube — a container
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. clip — for paper
  5. tube — the underground
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — final
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — a tool

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