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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: plane · hand · mine · bank · rock · straw · cabinet · fine

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — of a river
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rock — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — to move gently

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