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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: leaves · plane · snap · ball · cabinet · tear · ruler · bank

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. bank — of a river
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a great time
  24. tear — to rip

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