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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · object · bark · plane · bore · season · straw · spring

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spring — the season
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — to protest
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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