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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. club — a group
  4. present — there
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — to shout
  7. present — a gift
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. present — the time now

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