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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bank · hide · tear · plane · ruler

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — a tool

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