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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — child
  12. net — after costs
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. present — there
  23. bank — of a river
  24. straw — dry grass

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