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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: bore · clip · pop · plane · bank · stem · fine · bowl

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pop — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — to come from

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