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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: foot · straw · leaves · plane · chair · degree · trunk · staff

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. degree — temperature
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — from a university
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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