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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — ground
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. land — a country
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — boats

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