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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: lean · straw · can · cell · lie · coach · bank · plane

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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