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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: club · plane · stick · wind · cabinet · nail · rush · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. club — a group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — for golf
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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