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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 116 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 · present · court · wind · lean · mark · bound · can

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — certain
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a grade
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. present — there
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — obliged
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  24. present — a gift

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