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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: pound · straw · fan · shower · tube · ruler · plane · hand

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — rain
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — help
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — a container
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pound — for dogs

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