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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 · rock · staff · plane · fall · saw · hand · land

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — help
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — a country
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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