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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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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: key · arm · saw · stock · plane · leaves · bowl · last

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. last — to go on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. last — finally
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. key — the most important part
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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