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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: straw · leaves · cabinet · plane · roll · shower · chip · season

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. roll — a list
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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