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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: band · last · net · mouse · staff · plane · capital · lean

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — final

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