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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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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: tube · staff · shower · object · swing · wound · plane · wake

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — a container
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wound — an injury
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — an aim
  21. swing — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. shower — rain
  24. object — a thing

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