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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — a tool

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