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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bank — of a river
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. court — for sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. clip — to cut
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — a tool

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