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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — a tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. season — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — lets stay

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