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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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468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. drill — a practice
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — boats
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — in football
  24. craft — a skill

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