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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: bank · lean · pitch · pop · leaves · spell · plane · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spell — magic
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — of a river
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bank — for money
  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