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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bank — of a river
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — a short time
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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