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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: roll · plane · lean · last · straw · club · board · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — for golf
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. club — for dancing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. pop — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. last — to go on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — a group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — soda
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. roll — on a roll

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