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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 120 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: foot · straw · stock · season · drill · fan · plane · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — in sport

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