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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: kid · pitcher · lean · bank · plane · wake · bass · calf

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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