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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. plane — in geometry

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