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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · straw · band · date · cap · jam · clip

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. band — a ring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — of ice
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. clip — to cut
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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