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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.

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: bank · field · lash · leaves · plane · content · club · bulb

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — a subject
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. club — a group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — farmland
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — of a tree

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