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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: swing · pit · snap · plane · saw · bank · date · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — in a race
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — of a river
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — a tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pit — a hole
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. saw — the 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