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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 124 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: fork · chest · can · bank · spring · cabinet · ground · plane

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — a position

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