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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: pit · plane · straw · foot · perch · lash · shower · leaves

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — the fish
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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