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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: bank · dip · plane · mouse · straw · staff · ground · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — the animal

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