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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
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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: suit · leaves · plane · hand · cabinet · land · pass · straw

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — in cards
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — a country

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