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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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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: plane · race · suit · saw · trunk · cap · foot · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — in cards
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. foot — a measure
  11. race — the arms race
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. suit — clothes
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. race — humankind
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — to fit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — a contest

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