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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: stem · straw · object · leaves · plane · clip · saw · trunk

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. object — a thing
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — an aim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. plane — a tool
  24. saw — the tool

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