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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — a match
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hand — in cards
  18. 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