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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: bound · bank · hand · bay · root · plane · bat · content

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. content — the amount
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — happy
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bank — of a river

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