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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.

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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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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: rule · deal · bank · land · plane · straw · tube · present

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. land — to come down
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rule — government
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — in geometry

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