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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret

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