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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 120 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: last · leaves · plane · march · cap · straw · root · stock

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. march — the month
  3. last — finally
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. root — the cause
  15. cap — of ice
  16. last — to go on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. last — final
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — the month

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