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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 120 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 · plane · game · sharp · rest · bound · trunk · chair

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. game — a match
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. sharp — with an edge

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