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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. last — final
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — to go on
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. game — a match

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