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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: firm · plane · tear · last · wave · straw · tube · foot

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — the underground
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — steady
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. last — final
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — decided

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