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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — in sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — of a river
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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