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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: chest · rock · bank · clip · plane · sharp · mouse · mine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. clip — to cut
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — belonging to me

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