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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.

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: foot · plane · straw · trunk · squash · season · clip · club

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — a group
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. clip — to cut
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. club — for dancing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. season — of the year
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. clip — for paper
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. plane — in geometry

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