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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: dip · pop · plane · vault · land · straw · season · rush

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — in sport
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pop — music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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