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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: straw · rock · scale · leaves · mate · jam · shower · plane

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. shower — rain
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. scale — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

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