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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 · clip · cap · straw · firm · rock · staff

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — a stick
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. clip — a video
  16. cap — a lid
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — for a lock
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cap — a hat
  23. firm — a company
  24. plane — in geometry

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