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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: dip · plane · pound · stick · bank · game · swing · bulb

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. swing — music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to sink
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pound — to hit hard

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