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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bound — obliged

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