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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: vault · mine · straw · bass · safe · plane · pound · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bass — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — a container
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bass — low music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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