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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: leaves · plane · foot · chest · mug · board · last · spell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — a committee
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — letters
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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