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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ball — a great time
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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