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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. board — a committee
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — in geometry

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