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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — for catching
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. plane — a tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. net — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

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