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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: pit · straw · bore · club · plane · leaves · squash · can

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — the sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — a tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — dry grass
  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