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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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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: bank · plane · kick · row · wave · lie · racket · mate

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — to recline
  24. plane — a tool

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