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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 116 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: ball · tube · object · straw · pound · staff · current · plane

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. object — to protest
  8. plane — a tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tube — the underground
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — a thing
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tube — a container

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