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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. present — a gift
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — in cards
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — there
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hand — help
  22. kick — in football
  23. bank — of a river
  24. dip — a sauce

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