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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: foot · plane · lean · wound · wave · spring · jam · cabinet

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lean — thin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spring — a coil
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. plane — an aircraft

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