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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: hide · plane · pound · staff · hand · wind · board · last

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — to go on
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — finally
  14. hand — help
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — animal skin

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