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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: plane · bank · can · pitcher · last · lean · foot · arm

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — of a river
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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