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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: nail · plane · dip · hand · tube · staff · row · jam

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hand — help
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — to sink
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  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