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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.

Words on the sheet
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: lean · arm · swing · season · plane · pitcher · straw · toast

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — of the year
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lean — thin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. toast — bread

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