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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wake · lean · scale · bank · bear · plane · rash · arm

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. scale — in music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — in geometry

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