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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.

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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — wild animals
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — in traffic

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