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

Word bank: temple · deal · net · kid · plane · bank · chair · lean

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lean — thin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. net — for catching

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