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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — a container
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. land — ground
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — a box
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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