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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: bark · bay · mate · sharp · bound · land · plane · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — to shout
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — a country
  21. mate — a partner
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bank — of a river

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