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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. squash — the sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — of water
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — hurry

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