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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pitcher · bank · kid · coach · hand · plane · file · arm

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a document
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — child
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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