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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rest — what's left

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