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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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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: bear · leaves · plane · foot · sharp · tube · squash · season

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tube — the underground
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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