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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 116 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: fan · plane · cold · bat · bay · cabinet · bank · calf

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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