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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: ball · sharp · cell · plane · hide · hand · lean · bank

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hand — help
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — a phone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bank — for money

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