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

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — a video
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. object — a thing
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — a tool
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — an aim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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