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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: rule · fork · race · pound · chest · hand · plane · bank

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. race — humankind
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chest — a box
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — in cards
  19. race — a contest
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chest — of your body

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