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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rock — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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