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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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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: plane · pass · bank · lean · dip · bark · wake · fall

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fall — the season
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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