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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. tube — the underground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — to rob
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bank — for money

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