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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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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: club · straw · trunk · plane · stem · lash · jam · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — for dancing
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — to come from
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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