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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a match
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — to fit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — not warm
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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