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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: leaves · pit · swing · cell · bank · plane · saw · mine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — a phone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — music

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