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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a song
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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