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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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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: bowl · bear · land · fine · kid · fork · plane · wound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — an injury

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