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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: leaves · bound · dip · spring · bat · plane · bank · sharp

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spring — a coil
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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