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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — after costs

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