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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. prune — to trim
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. foot — part of the body

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