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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · plane · band · cell · foot · fan · fine · mark

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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