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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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