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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: clip · plane · saw · pit · hide · fall · bank · mouse

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — a tool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — the animal

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