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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: saw · straw · wind · trunk · leaves · bear · cue · plane

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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