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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · suit · plane · pop · snap · land · board · bank

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — ground
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — a tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — a country
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cold — an illness
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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