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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: leaves · jam · roll · hide · stick · board · plane · straw

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. board — a committee
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — a list
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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