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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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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a song
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — a path
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — to keep track
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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