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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 · lean · hide · trunk · squash · toast · mate · deal

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — animal skin

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