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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — a box
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — a law
  24. mate — a friend

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