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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 · trunk · saw · foot · date · mark · bay · spring

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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