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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: straw · trunk · last · jam · plane · season · fork · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. last — to go on
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — in sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. season — of the year
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. trunk — of a car

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