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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: plane · club · last · trunk · wound · suit · bowl · jam

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — finally
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. last — to go on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — for golf

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