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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chest — a box
  12. mate — a friend
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hide — to keep secret

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