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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: staff · bank · kid · band · saw · plane · ruler · date

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bank — of a river
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. staff — employees
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. kid — child
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. band — a music group
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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