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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: bank · plane · spring · race · lean · scale · tube · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bank — of a river
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. race — the arms race
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. scale — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. craft — boats
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — humankind

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