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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — soda
  5. hand — help
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to tire
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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