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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · field · plane · perch · mine · spell · bay · straw

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. field — for sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spell — magic
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. field — a subject
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — farmland
  24. perch — the fish

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