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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: lean · band · bank · ball · bore · cold · firm · plane

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a music group
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a ring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lean — to bend
  15. firm — decided
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — steady
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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