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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — high quality
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — hurry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. row — a line

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