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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cell — in a prison

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