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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: shower · date · plane · pass · bank · field · wind · staff

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — a stick
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. field — farmland
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. field — a subject
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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