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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: staff · bowl · bulb · plane · wave · pass · stick · straw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. staff — employees
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. staff — employees
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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