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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.

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: plane · game · jam · bear · land · mug · wound · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — employees
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. land — to come down
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — a tool

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