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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: trunk · snap · sharp · stem · plane · lean · bound · drill

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — tied together
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to click
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of a car

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