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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: bulb · land · bore · lean · ball · plane · leaves · bank

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. land — a country
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bore — to drill

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