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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 116 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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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: key · chair · bore · cell · kick · bank · swing · plane

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. key — in music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bore — to drill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — an aircraft

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