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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — child
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. kid — to tease

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