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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: plane · capital · ruler · spell · bank · stick · row · tube

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. capital — money
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — the underground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — of a river
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — a container
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — magic
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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