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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: land · cap · suit · row · pound · wake · plane · bank

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — to come down
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. row — a line
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wake — a trail

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