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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · lean · present · arm · plane · straw · racket

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — there
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a face
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — a gift

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