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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 · leaves · plane · present · kid · stand · mine · squash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kid — child
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kid — to tease
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. leaves — of a tree

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