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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: racket · trunk · jam · mate · spring · chest · last · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — of water
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. last — final
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — to go on
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. last — finally
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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