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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: straw · pitch · pound · saw · plane · leaves · object · band

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. object — to protest
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a ring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — an aim
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. plane — an aircraft

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