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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: spell · foot · plane · ruler · press · can · straw · game

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. foot — a measure
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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