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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: bank · craft · can · bound · plane · coach · band · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — for money
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — of a river
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bound — obliged

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