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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.

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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 · present · nail · fan · march · mark · band · straw

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — there
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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