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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. prune — to trim

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