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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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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: pop · plane · hand · saw · bound · wax · season · bank

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — a tool

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