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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: pound · season · band · lean · plane · perch · object · rest

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lean — thin
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a ring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a music group
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. object — an aim
  24. season — in sport

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