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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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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: staff · cell · bear · nail · court · rest · band · plane

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. cell — in biology
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. court — of a king

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