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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · racket · saw · plane · hand · march · temple · stem

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — a straw man

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