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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. swing — music
  18. last — finally
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. plane — a tool

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