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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: toast · sharp · leaves · date · pop · bank · plane · arm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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