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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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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 · race · bore · pitcher · bank · pit · lean · kid

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — a contest
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — child
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. race — humankind
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitcher — a jug

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