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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: plane · bank · saw · snap · field · bore · present · lash

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. present — there
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — of a river
  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