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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: fall · plane · calf · swing · cell · face · bank · bound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. fall — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cell — a phone
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bound — tied together

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