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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 120 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: wind · bore · last · lean · branch · pound · plane · leaves

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. last — finally
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — final
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to rest against

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