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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: plane · toast · march · hand · cell · content · suit · bank

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — of a river
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — in cards
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — for money

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