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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 · snap · rash · chair · rock · bank · stand · plane

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bank — for money
  8. rash — a series
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — a stone
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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