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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 120 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: calf · straw · rash · plane · wind · cabinet · band · tube

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a ring

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