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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: mine · chip · plane · season · straw · ruler · leaves · stem

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chip — to eat
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — to come from
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — in sport

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