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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. staff — employees
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bank — for money

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