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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 120 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: cue · ground · straw · season · lean · stand · plane · arm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — of the year
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — in sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lean — to bend

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