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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · chest · bank · present · squash · plane · suit · prune

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. suit — to fit
  3. present — there
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — the sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chest — a box
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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