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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: bulb · row · wake · plane · sharp · bound · stand · bank

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — a trail
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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