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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: face · fall · plane · prune · stick · club · lean · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — to confront
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — part of the head
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — thin

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