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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — in a road
  4. field — for sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chest — a box
  17. field — a subject
  18. kick — a thrill

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