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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. dip — to sink
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — rain
  14. plane — a tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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