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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — to go on
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — a partner
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — a friend
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hand — in cards

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