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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: key · plane · staff · wound · fall · rest · present · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. present — a gift
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — the time now
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — there
  24. rest — a break

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