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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. snap — to click
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — to handle
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — an aircraft

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