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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: can · toast · lean · hand · bound · plane · sharp · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bound — tied together
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. toast — bread
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — in cards

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