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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a music group
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — shares
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ball — a great time

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