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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — a tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. clip — a video
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — part of the body

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