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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: plane · straw · pass · squash · leaves · deal · stock · spring

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spring — the season
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pass — a permit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stock — goods

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